[Edric's POV]
The instant I caught R'hllor, I expanded the Plane of Euthymia onto the real world.
"Welcome to my domain, Lord of Light. There's no way out of this one."
I removed my warhammer from his head and kicked him off into the distance.
"You are... alive."
He did look surprised. Cautious... fearful, even.
"Better than ever, I'd say."
I grinned, giving Fury a whirl. A mighty gust of wind emerged from the effortless swing.
"Now, what were you saying earlier? I didn't quite catch it. Something about my dynasty..."
I was acting clueless. I knew full well.
"We both know that to be untrue," R'hllor questioned.
"Say it..." I smiled. "Go right ahead. Stand your ground."
"... Edric's dynasty falls today."
"Before I erase you from this world, care to share why you decided on that? I mean, you, a god who... let's be honest, doesn't really do much. You throw a few tricks here and there when your followers make dedicated sacrifices. When it really mattered, you did fuck all."
"I gave you Lightbringer."
He rose to his feet.
"You didn't give me shit," I laughed. "Lightbringer's power came from me. My magic. My forging. My heart. My very soul. You had nothing to do with it."
"So you believe."
"So I know. Hell, even if you did add a little sparkle to it, why wouldn't you? The Great Other is your greatest nemesis... who I destroyed at the cost of my life. And the gratitude I have earned is - you slaughtering my family?"
"... You have always been cynical, faithless," R'hllor said. "You believed in my power, but you never had zeal for my cause. It was all for your own benefit. Should I be grateful for you defeating your nemesis, the one who threatened your world?"
"... This kind of delusion is remarkable," I chuckled. "And you only proved me right, dear Lord of Light. Why in Seven Hells should I ever put my faith in a 'god' like you?"
"No words will change your stance. However, you should know that it was not my desire to turn on you. It was an act that was meant to prevent a catastrophe in the future."
"... Do elaborate."
"Since the declaration of your divinity, it was inevitable. A war of faith," R'hllor said with absolute certainty. "Your followers possess more zeal than even my own. They would either purge every other faith... or be purged themselves. At the head of this movement would have been your second daughter, who possesses boundless capacity for destruction and chaos."
"It was my end in the future, a calamitous war that would ravage the known world or... this."
"The Great Lord of Light quivers in the shadow of my little girl?" I smiled. "I'm quite proud, if anything."
"You should be aware..."
"I suppose you have some reason for your actions," I admitted. "Regardless, you can't see the future with complete certainty, can you?"
"If not the girl... then your divine lover. She would see everything burn for you. Of that, I am certain."
"Sounds about right," I nodded. "There's one more thing... you had the ability to give me Lightbringer without any sacrifices, isn't that right?"
"It would not have been as effective..."
"But I could've made it work."
"Possibly..."
"Soo... I died for no reason."
"You are alive now, are you not?"
"What if I wasn't?" I questioned. "What if I chose to sacrifice someone dear to me? What if... I returned later than I did? Everyone would be dead, wouldn't they..."
"..."
"I have killed for much, much, less."
Thunder rumbled in the darkened, blood-red skies.
I raised my hand and dragged out the divine power of the Lord of Light from the other Edric's world. I tossed it to R'hllor and watched as it flew right into him.
"What... is this?"
I observed as he transformed, his hair and eyes both turning a fiery red. His entire body was covered by an aura of flame. A few seconds later, he gained a simple red robe. For a god... it was quite modest. He was quite beautiful and youthful, matching the kind of sacrifices he favoured.
"The Lord of Light in the flesh..."
"How... why would you grant me this power?" He questioned. "Is your arrogance so great that you believe me to be a non-threat?"
"I wanted you to fight back a little," I grinned slightly. "Don't worry, you're not beating me."
"It will be your undoing."
A flaming sword emerged from thin air. He grasped it, revealing what seemed to be Lightbringer... the truest form of it. Shadows emerged from R'hllor's own, splitting into dozens of 'warriors'. I charged fury with lightning, tossing it right through the crowd. It crushed everything in its path, twirling right for R'hllor. He blocked it directly, being pushed back quite the distance.
I called it back, and it smashed through every shadow before any got remotely close.
"Even in your mightiest form, you make others fight for you," I chuckled. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink."
R'hllor raised Lightbringer and smashed it against the ground, raising pillars of flame all around us. From these pillars, fire was continuously formed. In the blink of an eye, he emerged from behind me.
"Oh, that's a neat little ability."
I blocked Lightbringer with Fury. She shifted his sword, pointing the end at my left shoulder. A precise beam of fire shot out. I formed a curved geo shield, deflecting it. It continued before I kicked him in the chest.
I immediately went on the offensive, dashing forward. A overhead swing... he blocked it, but Lightbringer rattled in his hand while the earth beneath us shook. I followed it up with another attack... and another... and another.
I was faster at my current pace, though he wasn't far off.
We exchanged blows across the Plane of Euthymia in a dance of fire and lightning. I saw the shadows of Valaegor, the warriors who worshipped him... even Azor Ahai, guiding Lightbringer's swings. He was crutching on their martial prowess, for he had none of his own.
"Am I your first battle?" I questioned.
He gave no answer.
"I see... you've witnessed an endless number of battles in your time, but you've never truly had to fight yourself."
For what it was worth, they were great fighters. I found some excitement in facing their shadows. R'hllor even managed to get me on the back foot. He was evidently growing into his body.
When the opportunity came, he seemed to gain a surge in speed and strength, breaking my guard and slashing Lightbringer across my chest. He wasted no time stabbing it in.
"You underestimated me."
R'hllor said, closing his eyes.
"This is the end..."
"Yes, the end for you."
I coughed up some blood, laughing.
R'hllor's eyes widened as my entire body exploded with all of the elements. He retreated immediately, drawing the sword from my chest. My mortal body cracked... before shattering entirely, transforming me into my divine form.
It felt like taking my first breath again.
Fury flew right back into my hands, and I blitzed R'hllor.
BANG.
A direct blow from Fury sounded like a clap of thunder. Although R'hllor did not bleed in this form, he sure as hell felt that one. There was more where that came from.
BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
R'hllor was like a volleyball being tossed from one side to the other; my warhammer swings were flying him all over the place. After over a dozen in a row, I ended it off with one vertical slam right into the ground.
R'hllor tilted his head as the dust cleared, looking very much disoriented.
"How does pain feel..."
"Your rudimentary... physical blows cannot kill me," He said.
"Killing a god is nigh impossible, even with the difference in our strength. You are tied to this world by all of those who hold faith in you."
I put away Fury, and manifested my own Lightbringer. It was untempered once more, seeking a soul to make it whole.
"I'd need to erase your existence entirely from the known world, which... would not be simple. You are the most worshipped god in Essos, after all. That would take a great deal of time, but..."
"No..."
Rh'llor rose to his feet, his eyes wide with fear. He knew what I was suggesting.
There was nowhere he could run, nowhere he could hide. And most certainly... no way he could fight me off.
He unleashed all the power in his body, attempting to break free from the Plane of Euthymia. Flames spread out like an inferno, burning everything in their path. In turn, I made it rain. Vigorously. Ice-cold rain fell right above R'hllor... cooling off his fire.
Since it was the Plane of Euthymia, my power was... endless.
So much rain fell that it was akin to an ocean pouring down from the skies.
In the end, all of his fire evaporated into the air.
"Steamy, eh..."
"..."
R'hllor looked at me, hopeless. He almost looked like an innocent little boy who was sorry for his small mistake. Small... hah.
"Edric Storm... that is where this power came from. It was stolen from another Lord of Light," He said, seemingly realising it. "The one who slew all the gods but himself..."
"Rightfully so... it has no need for any of you."
"Where gods fall, kings and mages of divine power take their place," R'hllor lowered his head. "And the cycle repeats... for what are sheep without their shepherds? They must always seek out a greater being to place their faith in."
"... Edric Stormfyre, in a thousand years, when all worship you as the mightiest of all the gods - will you answer every prayer?"
"It does sound quite bothersome..."
"You cannot answer every plea of your people as it is," R'hllor remarked. "As all the people you know turn to dust, you will distance yourself from the world more and more... until it no longer holds any weight to you. You will be no different to me."
"We'll see about that if you live long enough."
I emerged in front of him and drove Lightbringer through his heart.
Its blade lit up fiery red as it siphoned his spirit. He didn't even fight against it. In the end, there was nothing left of R'hllor in that stolen vessel of his. It shifted back to how Valaegor looked.
Lightbringer shook violently, flames bursting from its blade. The most powerful sword in the world, without a doubt.
I placed a firm seal on it, suppressing his power entirely.
The 'Lightbringer' R'hllor wielded earlier dispersed into nothing.
I observed the blade. The Red Sword of Heroes. It was all too ironic. No sacrifice was more fitting for Lightbringer than the Lord of Light himself... even though he would never do it willingly.
Alas, it had no grand purpose anymore... it was simply just a prison for the god it was once meant to serve.
Something interesting did happen. Valaegor's soul had remained in the vessel, temporarily giving it life. I tossed the sword away.
"That... was embarassing," Valaegor sighed.
"You fought well," I said as I sat down beside him. "Made R'hllor look like he knew what he was doing."
"Fuck him..." Valaegor managed a laugh. "Corrupted my mind and killed me. After all I did in his name..."
"Gods are ungrateful by nature," I shrugged. "So many worship them that one man is like a drop of water in a lake."
"I always thought... I was extraordinary," Valaegor chuckled. "One of a kind."
"You were a great warrior. Someone with a strong, unyielding spirit."
"Already talking about me like I'm dead..."
"It's a miracle you still can speak, to be fair,"
"Can you... bring Arthur?"
"Of course," I nodded.
The Plane of Euthymia opened and dragged him in.
"This... what happened?" Arthur blinked. "You both just vanished into thin air. Valaegor, you..."
"Dying, unfortunately," Valaegor managed a smile. "A bit young, eh... got some last words, for both of you."
Arthur joined his side.
"I was born a slave in Lys, and even when the red priests bought my freedom, they found another shackle for me, one that I would wear for the rest of my life. My faith for the Lord of Light... so much of my life... was wasted."
"I wonder what could have been... if I had been born free. Would I walk a different path? Mayhaps I could have been someone great..."
"You were someone great," Arthur took a deep breath. "One of the best I've ever had the honour of duelling."
"... Heh, no need for flattery," Valaegor smiled, shaking his head. "Edric, it was my greatest honour to serve you..."
"Speaking of flattery," I chuckled.
"... Heh," He laughed. "I can understand why Arthur is so dedicated. Still... it has left him torn between two worlds."
"Help him... be true to... himself."
His soul dispersed into nothing.
There was a moment of silence.
"Rest well, Valaegor, champion of R'hllor."
I gave my respects, burning his body to ash... as he would've wanted.
"Your name will be engraved in history."